In 1997, the music industry became saturated with women folk-pop singers/songwriters. The forerunner of this musical phenomenon is Lilith Fair’s Sarah McLachlan.

The summer music fest, conceived by McLachlan, not only stabilized the “new” concept of women in music, but it also spawned recognition of women artists everywhere.

While the concept of 35-city-tour, often compared to Lollapalooza, was well-received by most of the recording industry, there were still several skeptical of McLachlan’s intentions.

McLachlan, with the help of 70 female artists, including the Indigo Girls, Sheryl Crow, Fiona Apple and Joan Osborne, proved the idea behind Lilith Fair was not a woman-fueled man-hating machine.

Rather, the idea was created out of opportunity and necessity — the opportunity to meet peers, the opportunity to promote the successes of female artists in the music industry and the necessity to prove to promoters that the old adage of not allowing two women on the same bill was outdated.

But 29-year-old singer/songwriter McLachlan’s career has not experienced success as quickly as it did this summer.

McLachlan originally began her music career studying classical piano, guitar and voice in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 1985, a 19-year-old McLachlan was discovered fronting a new wave band in Vancouver. Although she had never written her own music, Nettwerk Records was determined to add her to the label.

“Touch,” her first release (1988), went gold in Canada and provided the foundation for a dedicated fan base. “Solace” (1991) followed suit in developing McLachlan’s popularity.

It wasn’t until McLachlan’s 1994 release of “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy” that her music and earthy voice crossed the border and began to break through in the States.

Discovering a new audience, McLachlan’s success was brought to another level as she continued to innovate new lyrics — most of which are about finding love, sacrificing for love and the power of love.

It is only appropriate that the title of her latest release should epitomize her career — “Surfacing.”

This album, the most successful of McLachlan’s releases, dubuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 shortly after its release.

Despite McLachlan’s slow rise, her career is finally beginning to surface.

Sarah McLachlan will be performing with special guest Lisa Loeb Wednesday at Stephens Auditorium. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are sold out.